Bonnet Fit

[Doug Pelton]

Greetings, I am fitting all of the external sheet metal to the new tub and would like to know: What is the measurement of the opening between the bottom edge of the bonnet and the front wings. If a few of you could tell me what your clearance is between these 2 pieces at the front and rear corners of the bottom of the bonnet and fender, it would be appreciated. There is some latitude on the up and down installation on the running boards that may impact this dimension so I want to think about this before I commit to final placement. Thanks in advance for your responses, Doug Pelton Mesa, AZ 48 TC 7410 EXU 49 TC 7670 EXU

[Dean Jensen]

Hi Doug The distance, if I am following you correctly, is determined by the catches for the bonnet. The catches should pull the bonnet down, so that it is a semi tight seal at the top of the bonnet. Every car is probably a little different. Cheers Dean -----Original Message----- From: Doug Pelton [mailto:DougPelton@cox.net] Sent: Monday, March 28, 2005 9:32 AM To: mg-tabc@yahoogroups.com Subject: [mg-tabc] Bonnet Fit Greetings, I am fitting all of the external sheet metal to the new tub and would like to know: What is the measurement of the opening between the bottom edge of the bonnet and the front wings. If a few of you could tell me what your clearance is between these 2 pieces at the front and rear corners of the bottom of the bonnet and fender, it would be appreciated. There is some latitude on the up and down installation on the running boards that may impact this dimension so I want to think about this before I commit to final placement. Thanks in advance for your responses, Doug Pelton Mesa, AZ 48 TC 7410 EXU 49 TC 7670 EXU Yahoo! Groups Links

[Jim or Jan Sullivan]

Hi Doug, On my original bonnet the measurments are as follows. RF 5/8" RR 3/8" LF 5/8" LR 5/8" I have another bonnet from another car and it fits quite different so I think close, is close enough as I think they very a bit. Hope this helps. Jim Sullivan

[Viv James TraX Interconnect (Pty.) Ltd]

Doug, You don't really have much choice here. The mudguard height at the front is determined by the 3 bolt attachment to the dumb irons. All you can do is to move the back of the mudguard up or down a bit to get the gap between the bottom edge of the bonnet side and the flat section of the mudguard the same from end to end. Then you drill the hole for the single screw at the back of the mudguard and screw it into place. From here you can eyeball the running boards into the right place. Remember not to drill until you have looked at both sides of the car. You may need to compromise a bit to get them similar Hope this helps.

[Bob Grunau]

Doug, In addition to what Viv says, you are also constrained by the running board rear. The lower edge of the rear running board bracket will likely come to the bottom of the body when the running board is bolted to the mudguard/wing/fender. Make sure you are happy with the sweep transition between running board and wing. It should be one nice continuous curve. I would worry more about this curve than the gap between wing and bonnet side. Good point not to drill anything till you are completely happy with the fit and curvatures. Bob Grunau Doug, You don't really have much choice here. The mudguard height at the front is determined by the 3 bolt attachment to the dumb irons. All you can do is to move the back of the mudguard up or down a bit to get the gap between the bottom edge of the bonnet side and the flat section of the mudguard the same from end to end. Then you drill the hole for the single screw at the back of the mudguard and screw it into place. From here you can eyeball the running boards into the right place. Remember not to drill until you have looked at both sides of the car. You may need to compromise a bit to get them similar Hope this helps.

[Mark McCombs]

And then the advice of Mike Sherrell, who suggests that the running board be firmly bolted to the fender before hand, so that this entire assembly can be offered up to help acheive that correct line. I'll bet this is what the factory did. Regards Mark TC8126

----- Original Message ----- From: Bob Grunau To: DougPelton@cox.net Cc: mg-tabc@yahoogroups.com Sent: Tuesday, March 29, 2005 7:34 AM Subject: RE: [mg-tabc] Bonnet Fit Doug, In addition to what Viv says, you are also constrained by the running board rear. The lower edge of the rear running board bracket will likely come to the bottom of the body when the running board is bolted to the mudguard/wing/fender. Make sure you are happy with the sweep transition between running board and wing. It should be one nice continuous curve. I would worry more about this curve than the gap between wing and bonnet side. Good point not to drill anything till you are completely happy with the fit and curvatures. Bob Grunau Doug, You don't really have much choice here. The mudguard height at the front is determined by the 3 bolt attachment to the dumb irons. All you can do is to move the back of the mudguard up or down a bit to get the gap between the bottom edge of the bonnet side and the flat section of the mudguard the same from end to end. Then you drill the hole for the single screw at the back of the mudguard and screw it into place. From here you can eyeball the running boards into the right place. Remember not to drill until you have looked at both sides of the car. You may need to compromise a bit to get them similar Hope this helps. Yahoo! Groups Links [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[james koester]

With all the chatter about bonnet fitting, let me jump into the fray with a few questions mine. I am not yet happy with the fit of the bonnet on recently restored TC 1179. First, the alignment accross the top of the scuttle at the cowl and around the radiator shell has too much of a gap on one end or the other. My first thought is that the radiator stay tubes need adjustment to pull the shell toward the leading edge of the bonnett. Second, the bonnet latches do not readily engage the latch brackets, requiring much more fiddling with than before the restoration. I also assume this requires more trial and error adjustment to the brackets because the latch assemblies are fine. Another question is what to adjust first. More trial and error? Thanks. Jim Koester [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Viv James TraX Interconnect (Pty.) Ltd]

Bob's and Mark's comments are both relevant and important. I'd forgotten that I also bolted the running board to the mudguard on both TCs before drilling anything. Jim's email about bonnet fit is the missing bit none of us spotted. Of course the bonnet fit should be checked and adjusted before even considering the mudguards. The trick here is to know that with the chassis levelled up fore and aft, the bonnet hinge is not level. The front of the hinge should be about 1 inch (?) lower than the back end. I set the radiator height and centre it so that the side and top back edges of the bonnet line up neatly with the rear bonnet rubber and of course the side hinges should line up with the scuttle seams below the screen brackets. Once this is right I worry about lining up the radiator cowl with the front bonnet edges. Only now is it the time to start fitting the front mudguards. All this takes a while but like the trouble taken over door fit, it makes the car look and feel really correct. Viv

[Doug Pelton]

Thanks to all on the response. Good Stuff! Doug Pelton Mesa,AZ

[ROSS TAYLOR]

Hi My bonnet drove me insane when trying to fit it up after the last restoration to the extent that I was prepared to fit an alluminum bonnet and straps. you have to look at either end of the bonnet where it fits into the brackets bolted to the radiator shell and the scuttle as this will eventually locate it and give the fit down either side of the body and the radiator shell. After setting up this I found that I had to cut both side panels to get them to fit the radiator shell, 3/8 of an inch at the bottom to nouthing at the top .This bonnet having been on the car since 1969, and never fitted properly. When the guards go on you can adjust the fit when latched down by bending the brackets bolted to the mudgards , you wlii find that after a short while on the road the brackets will find out where they want to be and the fit will sort itself out. DONT PANIC, just breeze allong Regards Ross in Tea Gardens

> >Bob's and Mark's comments are both relevant and important. I'd >forgotten that I also bolted the running board to the mudguard on both >TCs before drilling anything. > >Jim's email about bonnet fit is the missing bit none of us spotted. > >Of course the bonnet fit should be checked and adjusted before even >considering the mudguards. > >The trick here is to know that with the chassis levelled up fore and aft, >the bonnet hinge is not level. The front of the hinge should be about 1 >inch (?) lower than the back end. I set the radiator height and centre it >so that the side and top back edges of the bonnet line up neatly with >the rear bonnet rubber and of course the side hinges should line up >with the scuttle seams below the screen brackets. Once this is right I >worry about lining up the radiator cowl with the front bonnet edges. > >Only now is it the time to start fitting the front mudguards. > >All this takes a while but like the trouble taken over door fit, it makes >the car look and feel really correct. > >Viv > > > >Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > >